You know that saying that real estate agents use when they want you to know that a house is solid? “This house has good bones.” Well, 1 Sandyfields Lane in Stony Point has great bones — and one of the reasons that I can attest to this is that I saw them with my own eyes. This unfinished contemporary center hall Colonial is just waiting for a buyer to add his or her touches to it.

The home, which is listed at $799,000, is on a corner lot in Stony Ridge Estates. Its eco-friendly design includes windows, insulation and appliances that are as energy-efficient as possible. Another outstanding feature is the two-story great room that boasts a fireplace that vaults the entire length of the wall, adding a touch of drama to the space.

But even though the property is a show stopper with a circular driveway, warm stone and stucco siding, and gorgeous mountain views, it take a lot of vision to see yourself living here.

That’s because 1 Sandyfields Lane is unfinished.

“Being able to customize this home with your colors and your choices in Stony Ridge Estates AND at this price, is a great opportunity,” says real estate broker Janet R. Guerra. “Homes in this exclusive neighborhood were well over $1 million not such a long time ago.”

The one problem with this as an unfinished home is that most buyers (myself included) are unable to visualize its potential. Walking around the place, seeing nothing but studs, and constantly asking “which room am I in?” can leave one feeling more confused than excited.

Jen Bricker of JM Homestyle LCD has the perfect solution, “Creating a vision board for each room will allow potential buyers to get a much better feel for how fantastic this home actually is,” she says, pointing out that the home has a lovely layout and is located in a prime corner lot. “The rooms are a very nice size, but all you see is wood. The buyer needs to be able to visualize themselves in the space.”

Vision boards are an excellent way to communicate to visitors and allow them to understand how traffic will flow, where guests will sit, and how furniture might be positioned, etc. “In my boards I make sure that people can see not only how furniture might be stationed, but I also give people a sense of color and texture,” adds Bricker.

So instead of standing in the middle of an open space that’s devoid of furniture, decorative accents, or even walls, one can now easily imagine the warm browns, creams and grays that would add personality — and daydream about how welcome guests would feel as they pass through an entryway lit with a gorgeous chandelier, their feet sinking into a fabulous oriental rug that lies on top of the sparkling hardwood floors.

Being able to immerse yourself into a space is homebuying 101. Once buyers can see themselves inside the home, they won’t be able to help but get wrapped up in the excitement of creating their dream home from scratch.